MOBILE, Alabama -- University of South Alabama officials celebrated a milestone with the grand opening of the courtyard and lobby at USA Children's & Women's Hospital.

The Aug. 28 gala marked the culmination of a major expansion of the hospital, which began with a groundbreaking on Nov. 17, 2010.

The first phase of the $72.6 million expansion, funded by the USA Health System and the USA Foundation, added more space for the hospital's neonatal and pediatric intensive care units, along with additional operating rooms.